Toad's Big Adventure!
by Topcard
Summary: When the world faces annihilation and the greatest heroes fall, only one person can save us all. Toad! Wait, Toad? Oh, boy... A continuation of "The Tragedy of Waluigi and Rosalina" and "L."
1. Chapter 1

**The following takes place after the events of "The Tragedy of Waluigi and Rosalina" and "L," two stories from the same author. If you have not read them, you probably should, otherwise a lot of things in this story won't make sense.**

The Mushroom Kingdom, a prosperous land of irrefutable beauty. Anyone would consider themselves lucky to live in such a magnificent place. Sure, it sometimes fell into peril at the hands of various dark forces, but things always worked out in the end. The crowning achievement of this kingdom was the Toadstool Palace, home to the land's beloved ruler, Princess Peach. And this particular night at the castle was dedicated to celebration.

Fireworks shot off into the starry sky, filling the air with a beautiful glow. So many were in attendance to admire the sight. Toads, Piantas, Nokis, you name it, they were there, having the time of their lives. And why shouldn't they? After all the terrible, HORRIBLE things that happened not too long ago, they had the right to celebrate the good times.

Toadsworth looked onto the crowd, smiling under that majestic mustache of his. It did the old man's heart good to see everyone happy once again. But wait a tick. Where was the princess? Toadsworth scanned the area. He could've sworn he just saw Peach. Oh, well. She was with three friends, so it wasn't likely she'd get into any trouble. Toadsworth chuckled as he shook his head in amusement. Of course the princess was safe! Nothing could go wrong tonight.

Inside the palace, however, was a different story. Deep within the confines of the building, two guards stood at their posts, making sure the confines of the door between them remained locked away. Such contents needed to be protected at all costs. Even on nights of partying, these two did not get a break. They stood there, bored out of their minds. Every now and then one would attempt to strike up a conversation, whether it be about politics or a sporting event. The other guard, however, would have none of it, and merely replied through grunts and nods. Then the silence returned. The awkward, boring silence. Oh, how they wanted to be at the party!

Then something happened. An object falling from the ceiling. A single object, almost like a feather, landing just at one of the guard's feet. He stared at it in confusion. Picking it up, he determined it was a…a flower pedal. The other guard looked around as another pedal fell. Then another. And another. Soon it was practically snowing daisy pedals. Where were they coming from?

In an instant, a figure fell to the ground, landing with a mighty thud. The guards had no time to react, as the person dropkicked one of them square in the jaw, knocking him out. The other guard stood dazed for a moment before remembering his job. Drawing his weapon, he ordered the intruder to put their hands up. Strangely enough, the criminal complied, remaining still after doing so. The guard cautiously stepped closer. The attacker wore a black jumpsuit with matching boots and gloves. An orange scarf wrapped around her neck like a boa constrictor. The figure turned to face the guard. What he saw came as a real surprise. His weapon fell to the ground. This was impossible.

The intruder gave a smirk before attacking. The palace worker was out cold in a matter of seconds. Wasting no time, the criminal grabbed a set of keys off the guard's belt and approached the door.

The first key didn't work. The second key was a complete failure. The third, however, fit like a charm. "Money," the intruder stated in a dark tone as the door swung open. The room was dark, the only light shining down on a small pedestal in the center. "That's one way to set the mood," the figure remarked to herself.

The woman stepped toward the column, bringing her masked face into the light. She stared at the object on top of the stand. A jar. Or was it an urn? The label in front of it read "SHADOW QUEEN." Excellent. The woman reached into her pocket and pulled out a walkie-talkie.

"Hey, boss, it's me," Ms. D said. "I've got it."

"Perfect," the voice of a familiar Koopa responded. "Everything is falling into place. Return to my castle immediately."

"Whatever you say, sir."

Ms. D exited the room and escaped out nearby window, unseen in the cover of night. Many, many lands away, her boss went into an uproar of ferocious laughter. The bottled Sprixie princesses in his clutches could only watch in horror as the monster rose from his thrown.

"Who can stop me now?!" Bowser exclaimed to the world. "WHO?!"


	2. Chapter 2

Toad merrily skipped down the road the next day, humming a little tune. He greeted everyone he passed along the way, but did not stop for chitchat. No, for you see, he was a Toad on a mission. He was determined to get to Toadstool Castle as soon as possible.

Toad walked through the palace gates, noting the lack of guards stationed there. Odd. Ignoring such thoughts, the little mushroom man continued into the building. Shoving the doors wide open, Toad exclaimed "Hey, everybod-" before cutting himself off upon seeing the sight.

Palace officials scrambled all over the place like headless chickens. It was a regular circus of a frenzy! One guard zoomed past Toad, spinning him rapidly. The poor fella went spiraling all around, bumping into people like a pinball. Toad finally tripped over his own two feet, landing face-first on the carpet. He slid a few inches before stopping right in front of Toadsworth.

"Ah! Toad! How are you this morning?" the old man asked.

"Hey, Toadsworth, what's with the hubbub?" Toad returned.

"Oh, it's dreadful! Midst last night's festivities, the palace was robbed!"

Toad gasped in shock. The castle, robbed? AGAIN?! Man, they had lousy security!

"That's terrible!" the little guy shrieked at last. "Well, what did they take?"

"Oh, um..." Toadsworth hesitated, scratching the back of his head. "I wouldn't concern myself over it, Toad. We have it, um, under control."

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" a guard wailed as he ran by. Toad gave Toadsworth a skeptic eyebrow raise.

"He, um, doesn't handle coffee well," the older mushroom man awkwardly offered.

"Either way," he continued, "with the princess gone, the whole castle is busy sorting this ordeal out."

"Wait, Peach is gone?" Toad asked.

"You didn't hear? Well, here, she sent a letter this morning."

He handed Toad a piece of paper. He read it to himself. "'Dear Toadsworth,' he started, "'Last night, the Mario brothers and I left to a faraway land. Bowser's up to his old tricks again, this time in a kingdom of Sprixies. I should consider myself lucky he didn't come for me. Anyways, we will be gone for a little while, so keep things tidy in the castle until I get back. Sincerely, Peach.'"

Toad finished the letter, but kept looking at it. He read it once more, then once again, then again. "Wha- B-but this doesn't make any sense," he finally said; "They wouldn't go on an adventure without me. No one knows the land like a Toad."

"I believe a blue Toad was present among the group," Toadsworth clarified. "No need to worry."

Toad was about to say something when a royal guard stepped in. "Master Toadsworth," he said, "we need you in the vault."

"Oh, well, perhaps you should be going now, Toad. We're very busy," the old man suggested.

"But aren't you forgettin' somethin'?" Toad asked.

"I haven't forgotten a thing! My mind is a safe of knowledge. Now please."

He began shoving Toad towards the door. "Out, out, out," he insisted.

"Yeah, but it's-"

SLAM!

The door shut in Toad's face. He stared at the locks for what seemed like an eternity.

"...my birthday," he finished quietly.

Toad continued staring at the door until eventually getting bored. With a scuff of his shoe, he hobbled off in a huff, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "The nerve of some people!" he thought out loud; "Replace me, will they? Who needs 'em, anyways?!"

He sighed.

"Ah, who am I kiddin'? How could this day get any-"

In his anger, Toad had not realized that he walked right into a massive whole in the ground. With a whoosh, the man went plummeting.

"WWOOOOORRRRSSSSEEE?!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh, my head. Who put that there?"

Toad rubbed his noggin in a futile attempt to get rid of his newfound headache. He repeatedly opened and closed his eyes, as his vision had become noticeably blurry. As sight began returning, Toad noticed a figure at the other end of the room, staring at several computer monitors. She wore red and held a...yellow stick behind her back. Her head lowered as she began to speak.

"I apologize for the sudden summoning," she began, "but this is an urgent matter, and you are the only person qualified for the job."

Toad's eyes widened at the statement. An urgent matter? And one only HE could take care of? Hot dog! Things were finally going his way!

"That robbery last night, I'm sure you guessed, was no random attack," the figure continued. "Ms. D is back, stronger now than before. And she's not alone."

Ashley began turning around. "That's why I brought you here, Mario. So together we ca-... Who the heck are you?"

"And there it is," Toad lamely replied.

"No, this isn't right," Ashley tormented. "The spell was supposed to bring a hero, not a...Toad."

"Hey, kid, I'm not just a Toad. I AM Toad," Toad insisted.

"Don't call me kid."

Ashley pulled out her spell book and skimmed through the text. Reaching the desired page, the witch read carefully. "Why didn't it work?" she wondered aloud.

"If you're lookin' for Mario, he went with Luigi and the princess to save some Sprixies," Toad answered.

"Just my luck," Ashley moaned. "I'll have to handle it myself then. I'll send you home."

The little girl flipped through the pages once again. Toad attempted to take a peak, but Ashley moved away instinctively. Then a thought came to Toad. "Wait," he began, "you said Ms. D is back? As in Princess Daisy?"

"What's it to you?"

"Kid! Er, I mean lady, royal affairs are my business! If Daisy's out there, we gotta bring her back!"

"We?" Ashley spat. "You will not be doing anything. Like I said, only Mario is powerful enough to be of any help. No, you're going back home."

Toad stumbled over his words for a moment. He then said: "I'm not leaving."

"What was that?"

"You heard me. This is MY business and I ain't going nowhere."

And thus began the great Yes You Are/No I'm Not Battle of Diamond City. A perfectly orchestrated pingpong match of an argument. Such a stalemate had never been seen before in the history of applesauce. It would still be going on to this very day had a certain little demon not intervened.

Ashley's wand began shaking in her hands. It leapt into the air and, in a puff of crimson smoke, transformed into Red. "C'mon, Ashley, just let him help out," he said; "We need all the help we can get!"

The little girl stared at her assistant, trying to figure him out. "Very well," she finally said. She then turned to Toad. "You want to help? Then go get me some garlic. It's the final ingredient I need for an important spell. Think you can handle that?"

"Alright! No problem!" the mushroom man grinned. He marched out of the room, eager to finally be helpful. He returned a moment later, marching backwards into the room. "Um, where am I?" he asked.

Ashley face-palmed in frustration. "Red, go with him," she ordered. The demon nodded and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, reappearing right next to Toad. "Awesome! I'll show you ALL my favorite spots! Ooh, the market is so much fun! We can stop at the dumpling place when we come back!"

He grabbed onto Toad's hand and together they teleported elsewhere. Ashley shook her head at the sight. Now was not the time for playing around. Their entire world was on the line.


	4. Chapter 4

The streets were teaming with life, cars roaring across the pavement, people biting and clawing their way through the massive crowds. Not even the marketplace was safe from such urban turmoil. Wave after wave of angry customers bombarded the businesses with their relentless search of groceries. Truly it was a terrifying sight.

It was in the epicenter of this chaos that Toad and Red reappeared. Toad stumbled around, his eyes spinning in circles. "Ugh, why's everything tilting to the left?" he asked, too dazed to stay still.

"Yeah, you'll get over that," Red responded. "I hope. Anyways! The garlic place is just over there. C'mon, let's go!"

He grabbed Toad's hand and led him head-first into the swarming crowd, unaware that just at the other end of the marketplace, an eager student was on a similar mission.

Young Cricket walked through the market, several bags in one hand. In the other was a list, given to him by his master. "Let's see," the young man said, checking the piece of paper, "In order to make Master Mantis' favorite dumpling soup, I must not miss a single ingredient. I already have the spices and the meats. All I need is..."

He looked up from the list. A vegetable stand was right in front of him, with one last clove of-

"Garlic!"

Young Cricket ran up to the stand. "Just what I need!" he cheered as he reached for the garlic. He grabbed the clove, but another hand did the same. "What the?" Cricket asked. He turned his head and saw the hand was attached to a small mushroom man. Next to him was an even smaller demon. Strange. Strange, indeed.

"Excuse me, but this is MY garlic," the martial artist stated politely, pulling the desired object closer to himself.

"Um, no, it's mine," Toad clarified, taking the garlic back. "We were here first."

"I don't think so," Young Cricket replied. He then slammed a few coins on the counter. "Three gold coins, my good man."

"Oh, no, you don't!" Toad exclaimed, putting his own money on the counter. "SIX gold coins!"

Young Cricket reached into his pocket, then raised the stakes. "TEN gold coins!"

"Twelve!"

"Fifteen!"

"Twenty!"

"Thirty!"

"Yo mama!"

In no time at all, the counter was covered in towers of gold coins, blocking the vendor's view. Toad and Young Cricket glared at each other, never easing up on their grip of the garlic. "Look, pal," Toad started, "the fate of the world depends on me getting this garlic."

"Yeah? Well, the fate of my lunch depends on me getting this garlic!"

Before tensions could reach dangerous levels, Red flew between the two, pushing them apart. "Guys! Guys! Take it easy!" he started; "Now I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable compromise we can- OH, MY GOSH! A giant squid monster destroying the city!"

"Where?!" Cricket exclaimed, releasing the garlic as he turned around. Red then grabbed Toad by the wrist.

"Come on!"

And like that, the two went running. "HEY!" Young Cricket shouted as he turned back around. "Get back here!"

Red and Toad dashed through the market, bobbing and weaving around heavy traffic. "Can't you just teleport us back?!" Toad asked.

"It's too crowded. I might hurt someone," Red explained. It was then they heard a noise. The two turned their heads to see Young Cricket-running atop the crowd's heads, no less-charging right at them! "Surrender, fiends!" he yelled. Toad and Red screamed in fear.

"I got an idea!" Red suggested. "Grab my hand!"

Toad obliged, never slowing his pace. With great strength, Red threw the mushroom man into the air. "This wasn't a good idea!" Toad yelped as he went flying. Gravity, being the jerk that it is, pulled the frightened Toad back down. Before he could go splat, he landed on top of a broomstick, which zoomed out of the market and into the distance.

"You cannot escape me!" Young Cricket hollered. The student jumped high into the air and landed on top of a nearby building with a thud. With no time to spare, the boy ran across rooftops, leaping like a tiger on the prowl.

"We gotta go higher!" Toad told the broom. So up they went, gaining altitude like no one's business. Of course, this did not stop Young Cricket. With a mighty stomp, he went bounding into the air, even higher then Toad. Cricket came down in a spiral, his feet burning from the intense speeds. Toad could do nothing but take the impact of the attack at full force. He and the broom were gonna crash!

"Mayday! Mayday!" Toad shrieked. The broom transformed back into Red. "Hang on!" he ordered as he and Toad disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The two went tumbling as they teleported back on ground. They were right on the steps of Ashley's mansion, which for the first time, was a pleasant sight. "Thank goodness!" Toad cheered as he rang the doorbell.

DING DONG!

A crash from inside, followed by irritated grumbling. "I'm coming," Ashley said, sounding as if she hit her head on something. The door swung open. "Oh. It's you," the witch stated; "Did you get the-"

"Yup! Right here!" Toad replied with pride. "It wasn't easy. There was this crazy-"

THUD! Young Cricket landed right behind Toad and Red. "Oh, no," Toad yelped rather sheepishly.

"I believe you have my garlic," the martial artist demanded.

"Oh, no, pal! We got this fair and square! So there!" Red replied. The three males then began arguing back and forth, getting absolutely nowhere. This did not amuse Ashley, who turned her attention to more interesting matters, like her shoes. Very nice. Yup, never let her down before. But what was that? A faded green light was glowing under Ashley's feet. It was getting brighter and brighter. Ashley's eyes widened as she realized what was happening.

"GET BACK!" she screamed as she magically threw the three boys off the steps. In that moment, the green light destroyed the steps and surrounded Ashley, trapping her in green electricity. The girl screamed in pain, Red staring in horror.

"Ashley! What's going on?!" he exclaimed.

"Sprixie magic. They're here!" the witch managed to answer. "Find Mario! He's the only one! Go!"

Her body began lowering into a portal in the ground. Toad and Young Cricket had to stop Red from jumping in after her. "Ashley! Let me go! Ashley! NOOO!"

Two Koopas rose out of the portal. They grabbed Ashley and forced her the rest of the way down. "FIND MARIO!"

And like that, she was gone, leaving Red, Young Cricket, and Toad in terrible, terrible silence.


End file.
